Farouk’s House of India

I absolutely love this restaurant. As Indian food is my favorite type of food, I’ve been to many different Indian restaurants and this one is by far the best. I’ve only been here for dinner, so I cannot vouch for how their lunch buffet is (which is what I’m assuming the negative reviews are about). Going there during dinner is always fantastic, however.
My dad used to live a few blocks from Carytown, so on weekends when I would visit him, we would often go down to the strip, eating either at this restaurant or one of our other four regulars (one of which is sadly no longer there). This place is solely responsible for getting me hooked on Indian food.
I’ve taken friends here, brought a French exchange student for her first ever taste of Indian food, gone on dates here, and am coming in the next few days to meet a friend (who has never had Indian food before).
The atmosphere is good, kind of outdated but I take that as part of the charm. Your cup of water is never empty. If you order a soda, it does come in a can with a glass which I take as a plus (you know that there will never be an imbalance of water-​to-​syrup, the can more than fills the standard size glass and the can is left with you — I can’t speak from a price standpoint because I don’t drink soda, but I’m sure you can use your own perception of $$$ when you come here).
Speaking of money, the prices are very standard. Out of every Indian restaurant on the east coast and the two on the west coast I can remember, you won’t see any prices that vary much from Farouk’s prices (unless you go to an upscale restaurant). I’ve even been to an Indian restaurant in Japan and the prices were about the same (maybe one or two dollars cheaper in Japan).
You get free papadan which is amazing because I’ve never been to another Indian restaurant that serves you papadan for free (and I’m a fool for some papadan). The naan is good (I don’t know why someone called it rubbery, the quality is very standard across other Richmond area Indian restaurants). The food I’ve gotten has NEVER been watered down. I would absolutely know if it has been because a) I’ve had watered down, bland Indian food and b) I’m a big baby who can’t handle any spice level higher than mild. The sauces I receive are always very creamy and flavorful. I’m not very brave when it comes to trying new foods, so I’ve only had three of their dishes, but my boyfriend’s had some of the lamb dishes and loved them, and my dad probably had the whole menu at some point in time and still swears by this place.
The service is also incredible. The people who work up front move slowly, but in a good way. It creates a relaxing experience and makes you feel like you aren’t being rushed. Every time I come here, I text my dad to let him know and he replies back with how jealous he is (even from across the country). Looking forward to texting him about coming here in the next few days!

Had the buffet once and was not a fan at all. Food was bland, lukewarm and unsatisfying. How do you make Indian food bland? Naan was pathetic and soggy and while there, I’ve heard the distinct sound of microwaves before more containers of food were brought up. Maybe I showed up on an off day, but, regardless, I was not impressed.

Indian food is all about good masala, spices and a blend of flavours! i can vouch for one of the comment in this last-​honestly lacked flavours! the chicken kabab is easily understood that it’s colored so much doesn’t look like normal Indian restaurants chicken kabab! the chicken seemed stale too of the kabab! few items were a bit bland! hope they can increase a bit of spice levels if not too much!
I wish somebody from restaurant just briefs the menu like Wat all is in the buffet! i dont even know if there was a desert kept post meal or simple instance not even yogurt was kept !
Dear staff-​Request you to make food better pls!
Otherwise staff was a good one !

Do not go here, food is awful. I threw up after I ate it. The place looks run down. The bathrooms are so dirty. I’m surprised the health department has let them run this place.
Eat anywhere else BUT Here.

We just happened on this little place while shopping. What a great find! $ 8.95 all you can eat lunch, you can’t beat that! The food was lightly spicy and had rich flavors. The curry was delicious and not over powering.

I’ve been coming to Farouks for their lunch buffet for years! It’s never done me wrong.
Everything is absolutely delicious!
No need for a long review– it’s just hands down delicious!

My boyfriend and I go to Farouk’s for their lunch buffet almost every weekend. I don’t know what everyone else is talking about here, because we both literally dream of the food offered there. My favorite dishes: Aloo gobi, saag, fried vegetable pakora, chicken curry and BUTTER CHICKEN, GOOD GOD, THE BUTTER CHICKEN. It’s true that compared to other Indian buffets I’ve seen, Farouk’s variety is pretty small, but it doesn’t even freaking matter. It is ALL delicious. The only thing that I find disappointing about this place is the naan. It isn’t light and fluffy like I feel it should be. But the buffet I believe is $ 8 a head for all you can eat, and honestly, I think that the food is better than all of the other Indian food I have tried in Richmond. I also kind of agree that the overall atmophere leaves something to be desired. I like that in a few other Middle Eastern/​Indian restaurants I’ve visited, they play those really bright, campy Indian/​Bollywood music videos, which are so much fun to watch. Farouk’s seems clean and quiet, is dimly (but comfortably) lit and has paintings of various scenes in India decorating the walls. It’s nice but a tad stuffy. Because of the atmosphere and the naan, I would’ve given Farouk’s ³⁄₅ stars, but I added a 4^th because of the amazing buffet, great price, and also the prompt, polite service that we consistently receive.

Sorry but this place is AWFUL… How did this place receive a 3.5 star score? Usually my Unilocaler community is very reliable but this time I disagree vehemently.
Let’s break down our lunch… first of all when I got there the place was freezing, not a nice way to enjoy a meal. The buffet is tiny, only about a dozen items including the salad and bread. The bread was naan-​like but awful. It reminded me of several damp paper towels smashed together and fried in butter then let to sit for 2 days and served cold and damp. Yes seriously it’s nasty… had I not met guests there I would have demanded a refund and left.
We continue to the items on the buffet. The butter chicken tasted like chicken in spicy hot water, the curry tasted like no other curry I have encountered and was just bad. The tandoori chicken was at least 2 days old based on how it crumbled. I’m sorry but dark meat doesn’t crumble like that, think of dark meat turkey that’s about 2 – 3 days old, it was just gross. The other dishes were equally bland and uninspired. The pakora was at least a day old as well, besides that it was cold. Mind you we arrived at the buffet at about noon so everything should have been reasonably fresh and hot if it were actually prepared that day.
My guests concured with my observations and obviously we’ll never be back. Most places have at least some endearing qualities, this one does not.
The guy that was running the place seemed nice and the service decent so it’s sad that the food is just bad because they obviously keep the leftover buffet items from day to day and reheat and reserve them. There’s no question of that here… sad…

As someone who used to be a vegetarian and a frequent indian food connoisseur, I have missed having a good indian place nearby since I’ve moved to RVA. After all of the good reviews on Unilocal,my brother and I decided to try Farouq’s for lunch. To start with, the lunch buffet selection was extremely limited. It didn’t even include naan, which has been a basic staple of every indian restaurant I’ve been to. The food was quite bland, and was missing the rich flavors that I typically expect from indian food. It tasted like someone had cooked from a can. Not one selection I tasted was even remotely spicy. If you’re looking for really good indian food, you’ll have to try elsewhere.

Jesse and I had lunch at Farouk house of India in Cary. We had the lunch buffet and were not impressed. The small bland buffet was edible but not flavorful at all. The tandoori chicken was dry and the texture felt as if I was chewing leather. The butter chicken was «meh». The chutnies, tamarind and mint were really watered down. See pic. there was no naan bread. They offer a soggy, heavy bread instead. I have not found a good Indian restaurant on Richmond but this place ranks low on the list. Where are the true flavors of India? Indian should be spicy and aromatic. My wife makes better Indian than anywhere I have had in Richmond and shes italian.

Amazing food! And that’s saying something cos I’m Indian myself. I had the chicken Biriyani and GF had Tikka Masala. Both top notch. Cosy atmosphere, big portions, very attentive staff. Only small gripe is the bathroom is kinda small, but whatever the food is the most important thing. Would recommend again!

Went here for lunch buffet and the quality of the food is great. Very flavorful and aromatic and not too hot for those with a lower heat tolerance. If there were more variety for the buffet, then I might have given 5 stars. The décor is pretty nice and paintings on wall were pretty. The waiter was friendly and helpful.

Wow I don’t know where these bad reviews are coming from! I have been going here for close to 10 years, and to me, the food is much better than india K’raja by miles! (I’m only mentioning India K’raja so much in this review, because it has been boasted by the others as being much better than this place, and I have consistently been to both) Sure, the buffet is a little small, when compared to india K’raja, but the FLAVORS in the food, are just miles above anywhere else!
The owner is incredibly friendly, and always recognizes us, and makes sure without me asking to make my food extremely spicy, because I like it that way, way hotter than their menu offers it. He even gave me the recipe for his HOMEMADE hot sauce he makes with his HOMEGROWN chili peppers!
This is definitely a great place to go. Everything is homemade and great. The décor is a little cheesey, and maybe could use an update, but who cares? I’m not there to look at the place for validation any more, I’m there for the great food!
Someone said that the curry portions were too small… Where do you go that gives you more curry than that? India K’raja certainly doesn’t, it’s the same size as any other indian restaurant I’ve been too. And the rice they bring, is for the entire table.
Someone else mentioned ‘rubbery’ naan in their take-​out food. Well of course it got rubbery after being boxed up and taken home. I assure you, the garlic naan is SOOO good, that I even pay extra just to order it with my buffet lunches!
So I will keep coming here for years and years because it is a great, welcoming place with amazing food, despite the cheesy décor! :P

The cheap, delicious, and consistent lunch buffet. The classic flavors are always tasty. The veggie options aren’t’ too bad. My problem is the bread and produce quality.
I’ve been spoiled with Indian food and this place will hit the spot… but it won’t blow you away.

Farouk’s is my favorite Indian lunch buffet — everything they put out for it is delicious, and I really enjoy sipping on their Mango Lassi on a hot summer day.
It’s true that it doesn’t have the most beautiful interior decorations, but the food and the price are so great that I could care less.

Farouk’s is a little bit of a dive, but the food was excellent — the best Indian we’ve had in Richmond yet.
The restaurant is small and has a half dozen of those framed posters of Indian landmarks they must sell at restaurant supply stores. Don’t let the appearance fool you, the food is super.
Everything we ordered: Vegetable Samosas, Kashmiri Naan, Cheese Naan, Aloo Paratha, Chicken Biryani, and Chicken Kashmiri was delicious.
Service was prompt and food arrived very quickly.
I can’t wait to go back!

An Indian gem in Richmond’s Carytown. We came here on a whim and boy am I happy we did.
It is a small restaurant with many tables and pretty Punjabi art on the walls. When you walk in it is very hard not to be mesmerized by the delicious smells.
We ordered lamb curry and chicken tikka masala along with garlic naan and mango lassi. The crispy premeal was fresh and was accompanied by a delicious raita and tomatoes.
The smell waa not misleading and we devoured our food. What made the experience better is that our waiter was wonderful.

I’ve eaten here a few times and never had what I would call a bad experience, certainly, but the food is far from inspirational and with as many options as there are for Indian in and around Richmond, their lackluster flavor isn’t enough to draw me back except on the demand of determined friends who don’t really know better. Thankfully, most of my friends now know better.

I wasn’t sure what to expect because some of the previous reviews weren’t that great, but I’m happy to say that Farouk’s was really good! The service was also very friendly and consistent.
I’m one of those guys who has eaten Indian food 15 – 20 times but still has trouble remembering what I ate the last time. I just know that I love the depth of flavors that Indian cuisine offers and I haven’t had a terrible dish yet, except for the one place that burned the sauce and still served it.
My friend suggested Farouk’s because it was in walking distance of his apartment and he’s been wanting to try it. We ordered Mango Chicken and the Spinach with Chickpeas. The entrees came with a huge plate of basmati rice. The entrees seemed a little small for the price but I’ve never ordered these so don’t know what is normal. It certainly filled us up so it may not be a valid concern. These entrees were both delicious though with just the right level of heat.
Oh, I impulsively ordered the condiment tray for $ 4 too, which included some mango chutney, raita, some kind of relish, and one other thing I can’t remember right now. When it arrived with the entrees I just didn’t know what to do with it, which certainly shows my ignorance. I spooned some on bites of the other food, dipped some naan into it, and ate it plain. It all tasted fine but I felt out of my element. It’s not the restaurant’s responsibility but I sure would like if restaurants would offer a little guidance… a how-​to guide. Just a thought.
I’ll be back to Farouk’s. Everything was very tasty and the leftovers the next day were still good.

Decent Indian food: nothing to write home about, but I think it’s the only Indian food you will find if you’re in Carytown.
I was surprised to find beef on the menu, so we ordered samosas (both the beef and vegetable ones) to start. The shell was different than I’m used to, less flaky and more prone to holding in grease. But that being said, it wasn’t greasy and both were actually good.
Continued the meal with butter chicken and biryani. The butter chicken portion is small and comes with a huge plate of rice. I don’t know how someone could eat that much rice with so little chicken/​sauce. The serving size of biryani could have literally lasted as lunch and dinner over the entire weekend. A long plate piled high with rice and chicken. It came off a little dry, but was completely edible.
The service was… interesting. My water glass was never empty. Someone always came around to ask how things were. But the owners/​children/​friends or whoever they were decided to sit at a table and gossip very loudly for most of the dinner. It was a little distracting.
I’d say this place is probably a 2.5